When she was finally in front of him, she smiled sadly through the tears welling in her eyes.
"Wow...you look even more real this time." She said softly. "My previous hallucinations were already pretty convincing, but this one? This one's amazing."
She circled around him slowly, her tail brushing lightly against the grass, while Cassius simply watched her with that same patient smile.
"You even move when I move and you have a shadow too? Hah, that's new."
"At this rate, I'll start talking to thin air like a crazy person." Nala let out a small laugh, though it was shaky and hollow. "Maybe someday I'll completely replace the real you with this version in my head."
She gave a bittersweet smile, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"Honestly...I wouldn't even mind that."
Her eyes softened as she looked up at him again.
"Because even if it's just a dream...it still feels good to see you again."
